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April 20, 2010

You know how you can hear (or read) something a million times and never
have it sink in... but then you can hear is from a slightly different
point of view and a light bulb suddenly goes off? There is just
something about the presentation and context of a message that can make
it even more meaningful and possibly life changing.

This
happened to me recently while reading the book AntiCancer. I have read
a long list of health, nutrition and diet books, newsletters, blogs (I
may be a food blog junkie) etc in the past few years, but haven't been
quite as affected by any other book. Honestly, this book was a life
changing read for me. No worries, it wasn't life changing because I am
sick (nope, pretty healthy overall I believe - but did you realize each and
every one of us have cancer cells, they just may not be in the right
environment to replicate?) but because it put a lot of the same advice
I have read many times into a context that makes sense to me. A context
that says "come on Colleen make some more positive changes in your life
and you'll live a longer, happier and healthier life for it." Pretty
darn good motivation.

Let me back up a bit. I did buy the book
for a reason (well other than because my niece Nicole recommended it to
me) - it seems like every single person I know has a person in their
lives facing cancer. In my family there are a couple facing it. And
while my Momma never fought it, she did fight the extremely unforgiving
disease of Alzheimer's. I can't pin point what might have made that a
reality in her life, but I can tell you what predisposed my Pop to lung
cancer - yep, smoking and his not smoking for the past 20+ years and
exercising almost every single day didn't keep it from happening. I
want a different future for myself and feel it is necessary for me to
learn as much as I can, take a good look at my lifestyle and make some
changes. Yes, I know I can't guarantee that the changes will keep me
healthy, but they will help me feel like I did my best. Knowing that
can take away the what ifs. And to me, what ifs are the worst! (My mind
just doesn't know how to quiet down... especially when it is time to go
to sleep.)

I will be sure to share some of the changes and choices I am
making along the way - you may start seeing more healthy cooking,
exercise and green product posts. I hope that is okay with you :)

And
as you can probably tell, I highly recommend this book (there is also a
website). It is written by a doctor who fought brain cancer twice - his
voice is clear and relate-able. The book provides a lot of technical
information in a not too technical manner and offers up a holistic
approach to staying healthy. Pretty darn good book for anyone and even
better for someone who might be facing cancer right now - I know from
family experience that many doctors don't supplement typical treatment
protocols with a whole body approach to wellness. And just because it
is about cancer doesn't mean it is a depressing book - it was quite the
opposite for me, it was empowering.

Do you have any favorite health and/or fitness books I should put on my reading list?

March 22, 2010

If you have been visiting for a while, you might remember that I teased you with some secret holiday crafting work-in-progress photos way back in December 2008. I couldn't share more than some close ups at that point and now I can finally share the details with you.

It is funny to think that my original idea submission was over a year and a half ago and the instructions were complete a year ago. I am so glad to the book is finally out and I can share with you. Two of the almost thirty projects in the book are mine: a hanging towel for the kitchen that was inspired by my Gram's crochet topped towel and a hanging clothespin holder.

If you get a chance to take a look at the book, you wont be let down - you will find patterns from some of your favorite crafters including one of my faves, African Kelli. Plus, the project instruction drawings are really quite nice - I love how the illustrations reflect the pattern of the fabrics the projects were made in.

If you happen to make any of the projects from the book, let me know. I would love to see pictures :)

April 08, 2009

It is so nice to come home to a package tucked in the door. Especially one from Amazon. I wonder what is inside?

Yay, Crochet Bouquet and Weekend Sewing. I can't wait to dive in and explore. Can I just tell you how lovely Weekend Sewing is? The cover jacket is thick, the hard back cover has the most gorgeous flower pattern, the drawings are lively and the pattern pieces are great. I am really going to have to prioritize the projects I want to make. It will be hard. Take a look at all the great stuff people have been making in the Weekend Sewing Flickr group. Wow.

March 17, 2009

So many magazines are closing shop: ME Home Companion, Cottage Living (one of my very favorite magazines, I have been a subscriber from the start... and no, Southern Living is NOT a good substitute), Domino and Cottage Living. As a professed magazine-aholic, I am getting really sad. What am I going to do every month as my mailbox gets emptier and emptier?

A couple weeks ago I got the final issue of Country Home and am happy to say they went out with a really nice issue. I pulled some inspiration from the pages yesterday while sitting in the late afternoon sun. Here is what I found:

I have painted stairs (really steep painted stairs) going down into my basement, but the stencil and pattern are a bit more old fashioned and the paint is much darker. They are looking a bit worn, maybe I need to update them.

Something about this room makes me want to relax on the sofa and read a book. Plus I love the pear fabric pillow on the sofa.

I am in love with the budget kitchen makeover... even if it is still out of my budget. Someday. Oh, the whiteware and yellowware bowls, the subway tile, the ball jars, the sink, the vintage scale...

Not only do the dishes look yummy, but I love the packaging.

And lastly, I think this recipe is going into my spring rotation. MMMM ginger.

Anyone else finding inspiration from the magazines and catalogs in your mailbox? Any suggestions on magazines worth taking a look at... I think I am going to go through withdrawal.

November 13, 2008

Wow, I have been quiet lately – sorry for the unintentional break! Honestly, things have been crazy busy at work and by the time I get home I am just plain worn out. Hey, I guess I should be thankful for being busy... Maybe being busy means I am useful and therefore needed. Since our layoffs I haven’t been able to squelch the fear, the insecure feeling in my stomach. So, at work I am trying to give 200% and at home I am trying to recover.

Crafting hasn’t completely gone by the wayside, I have been working on a couple secret crafty projects/proposals. I wish I could share them right now, but can’t... I’ll know if I can in a couple weeks. But, honestly I want the answer to be “nope, can’t share them” because that means the book people liked them. If they didn’t, look forward to some tutorials.

A few other themes running through my life these days are budgeting, reading and cooking – I’ll be working on some posts on these soon. To hold you over till then, here are a few interesting links:

I made these yummy oatmeal breakfast squares last week. Way yummy, but when I added up the calories, I went in search of some ways to cut them. Pretty successful switching out the brown sugar for Splenda brown sugar blend and the butter for light butter... but not perfect.

Went in search of some other oatmeal options (without the not so natural Splenda and light butter) and found Kath Eats Real Food. If Kath can eat right, exercise, work and go back to school, I should be able to reach my health and fitness goals too. Maybe the key is setting such a pretty place setting at every meal?

October 22, 2008

I really want to learn more about sewing clothes. When I was in high school (too long ago, like late eighties - that seems so unreal, is there really on 2 years till my 20th reunion? I am NOT that old) sewing was the most popular elective. We turned it into a competition - what else would a bunch of competitive girls do? Who could sew the cutest dress (or MC Hammer pants - I swear I didn't make any of those!) the fastest? It was what we did. We even made our dance dresses. Anyway, that little story was to illustrate that I know I can sew clothes. Problem is, sewing for a teenage body is way different than sewing for a women's body.

So, I have been on a mission to find some good sewing classes. No luck so far, basic beginning sewing isn't what I am looking for. I really want to know how to fit a garment, make adjustments to patterns etc. My next step was searching for some good sewing books. I decided to do this on the cheap and turned to used books on Amazon. I was surprised at what I found. Most of the books I bought were less than a dollar and had 3.99 shipping. I bought an older edition of The Perfect Fit. I had read reviews and recommendations for it on Pattern Review and on some sewing blogs. I just didn't want to pay for the new version. Buying used meant I could by three books instead. Yeah.

October 02, 2008

One day I read a book, then I wrote a short post about it. It was fiction about a local yarn store. I had just started to learn how to knit, so I was all about knitting (you know how I get when I learn a new craft – I get slightly obsessed). A while later, probably more than a year, I received an email from the author’s publisher asking if I would like to preview her new book. Umm, sure. And guess what? It was about cooking. Seriously, does this author know me?

I thought the whole thing was pretty cool. I write a post on my blog and a publisher contacts me with the opportunity for an advanced copy of a book. The power of blogging. Then, last week I got another email. Yep, I feel so lucky. This time the author, Kate Jacobs, has written a follow up to her first book The Friday Night Knitting Club called Knit Two. I am so excited to get a chance to read the book before it comes out on November 25th. You know what is even better? I get to share the first chapter to entice you! To download a pdf of the chapter, click here.

I can’t wait to get my copy of the book so I can read more... And just like last time, when I am done with Knit Two, I’ll pass it along to one of you.

July 14, 2008

I feel like I always have a stack of books going – I tend to move from one to the next before finishing anything. I do notice that fun, light-hearted and girlie fiction tends to get read faster... Maybe because it often transports me somewhere else for a while. That said, my most recent read took me months to finish. Well, I started it about 5 times, never getting past the first few pages because life just kept getting in the way. Then, a few weeks ago, I picked it up again and was able to knock it out rather quickly. The book was Comfort Food, by Kate Jacobs.

There is a bit of an interesting story around how I ended up with the book. A few months back, I got an email from the publishing house. They mentioned that I wrote about Kate’s first book, Friday Night Knitting Club, and that she had a new book coming out – would I like to read it and write about it again. So interesting how the blogging world works - I this never would have happened if I didn’t have my blog. Of course I said yes... And soon an advanced, not entirely edited version showed up in my mail box.

This is why I feel a little bad about how long it took me to read it. It was generous of them to provide me with the book – and of course, I know it was a great marketing idea for them too. They will probably sell a lot of books if everyone invited to writes and recommends the book. But, you all know life has been crazy, so I gave myself some extra time to accomplish this.

The book was rather nice too. Very similar to her first book, the characters are likeable and the story latches onto a current popular culture trend, cooking and cooking shows. Us girls like this kind of stuff, just like we like knitting and local yarn stores. While some of the book was a bit predictable, I was surprised by some of the turns... And was sad when it was over – I wanted to know more about the character’s future's.

So, if you are looking for a nice Summer read, give this one a try. It would be very good outdoor reading by the pool or on the back porch. If you are interested, comment and let me know. Since I received the book for free, I should pass it along... So comment and I’ll pick someone to send it to on Friday. This is good timing too... I hit 200 posts a few post back and totally didn’t notice.

July 08, 2008

While my blog went quiet for a little bit, I officially became closer to 40 than 30. Not a whole lot of fun, but I did get some good presents! Even at 36, I love presents (heheheh).

One of my favorite gifts (from my good friend Renee) was a "Clothing Construction and Wardrobe Planning" textbook from 1960. Not sure what it has to do with sewing, but the first chapter us entitled "Personal Grooming." It covers everything from good posture, beauty, bathing, make-up, hair styles to personality. The drawings in this book are great, but some if the text is, well, interesting and no longer quite politically correct.

A few thing I learned from the first section:

The girl with a smiling face stands out in a crowd.

Your family will appreciate it if you groom your room as well as yourself. Good grooming has much in common with good housekeeping.

Charm, like charity, begins at home.

The essential "E's" of beauty include: early to bed, eat for beauty, elimination and exercise.

I am sure I will learn much more as I keep reading :) Be back soon with some clothing and wardrobe goodies...